The present application relates generally to condition monitoring of systems and equipment, and more particularly, to a method and system for use in condition monitoring of pressure vessel components, e.g., feed injectors for gasifiers.
Many known gasifier systems include a reactor, i.e., a gasifier that defines a reaction chamber in which a fuel and oxygen mixture is gasified to form a hot product gas. As a result of this mixture, a by-product of liquefied slag flows downward therefrom. At least some of these known gasifier systems, such as, but not limited to, dry feed systems and slurry feed systems, channel or transport a solid feed or a slurry feed, respectively. For example, gasifier systems, such as integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) plants and chemical production facilities, include a fuel supply system that is coupled upstream from a gasifier for channeling fuel to the gasifier. More specifically, in such systems, solid fuel, such as coal, may be channeled to the gasifier, wherein syngas may be generated.
Many known fuel feeds, either dry solids or slurries, are channeled into the gasifiers through one or more feed injectors. These feed injectors are subject to wear of varying magnitudes and varying durations during operation. Such wear may decrease an operational life span of the material condition of the feed injectors. Under such circumstances, operators may avoid premature and unexpected deterioration of the material condition, e.g., body cracking and/or erosion, by scheduled replacement of feed injectors that is, in some cases, premature with respect to the actual material condition of the feed injectors.
A known method of determining the need for replacement of the feed injectors includes monitoring of carbon monoxide (CO) in the cooling water supply and/or return to the feed injectors as an indication that the feed injector tip has developed cracks. Other indications may include temperature distributions on the gasifier shell that deviate from normal operational parameters and/or disruptions of the gasification process. However, such conditions merely indicated that a failure has already occurred, as opposed to providing an indication of pending failure with sufficient time to develop a remediation plan.